Former judge receives public reprimand from Supreme Court

Retired judge Steven Unpingco received a formal reprimand from the Supreme Court of Guam following allegations that he acted angrily and aggressively while on the bench.

As the charges filed against Unpingco represented the first time formal charges were filed against a judge, it's also the first time a judge was publicly reprimanded by the Supreme Court.

The order from the court states that the reprimand was due to Unpingco's "failure to remain fearless of public clamor, patient and courteous through language he used in court documents filed in the Superior Court of Guam.

In a filing dated July 31, the Supreme Court's Committee on Judicial Discipline accused Unpingco of judicial misconduct during his tenure as a judge.

An unidentified person filed a written complaint with the office in 2010, alleging misconduct by Unpingco between March 2005 and January 2006.

Unpingco is accused of being angry and discourteous while on the bench, and of making disparaging remarks about another judge.

"It is therefore alleged that (Unpingco) committed judicial misconduct by violating the American Bar Association's 1924 Canons of Judicial Ethics," the filing states.

There were four allegations included in the list of charges, which all state Unpingco "failed to remain temperate, courteous and/or fearless of public clamour."

They argue that Unpingco demonstrated his alleged bad temper in a 2005 case, when a defendant requested that Unpingco be recused.

"Here we go again!" Unpingco is quoted as saying in the allegations, calling the objection to his refusal to step down from the case "a classic case of sour grapes."

"A motion like this is not even worth the paper on which it is written," he continued.

"Judge Maraman is clearly wrong," the filing quotes Unpingco as saying. "It is detrimental to the best interests of justice for Judge Maraman to premise her decision on erroneous facts when the record is clear."

He allegedly made more remarks about Maraman in a second case, calling into question her impartiality.

The order against Unpingco doesn't specify which, if not all, allegations were sustained.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Email this article

Former judge receives public reprimand from Supreme Court

Retired judge Steven Unpingco received a formal reprimand from the Supreme Court of Guam following allegations that he acted angrily and aggressively while on the bench.As the charges filed against